1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation method, an image formation apparatus, a computer program, and a storage medium.
2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been a digital copying machine comprising an image reading apparatus that sequentially reads images from a set plurality of sheets of documents, and an image formation apparatus that sequentially forms the images read by the image reading apparatus onto sheets of copying paper in the order that the images are read.
Some digital copying machines comprise an image reading apparatus that can read images from both sides of a document. Such digital copying machines can read the image from one side of the document or the images from both sides of the document, by changing over the reading mode of the image reading apparatus between a single-side reading mode of reading the image from one side of the document and a both-side reading mode of reading the images from both sides of the document. An operator sets a reading mode according to a type of document such as a single-side printed document that has a necessary image formed on one side of the document and a both-side printed document that has necessary images formed on both sides of the document. Based on this setting, the image reading apparatus can read the document in the reading mode suitable for the type of the document.
The above-described image reading apparatus in the digital copying machine generally has a structure of setting a document such that the image side of a single-side printed document (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cfront sidexe2x80x9d) passes through the reading position the image reading apparatus. Under the setting of the single-side reading mode, the image reading apparatus reads only the image from the front side. Under the setting of the both-side reading mode, the image reading apparatus processes the image different from the image on the front side of the single-side reading mode, as the image on the back side of the document from among the images read from both sides of the document.
Further, some digital copying machines have an image formation apparatus that can form images on both sides of a sheet of paper. Such a digital copying machine can form the image on only one side of the paper or form images on both sides of the paper, by changing over the image formation mode between a single-side image formation mode of forming the image on one side of the paper and a two-side image formation mode of forming the images on both sides of the paper.
Further, under the setting of the single-side image formation mode, some digital copying machines enable the operator to optionally select between the formation of images on both blank sides of paper and the formation of the image on a blank side (a back side) of the paper with an unnecessary image formed on the other side. Such a digital copying machine makes it possible to effectively utilize the back side of the paper, by only setting the paper to match the purpose of using the paper after forming the image.
Further, some digital copying machines can set a concentration image formation mode of forming a plurality of images on one side of a sheet of paper. In order to set the concentration image formation mode, this digital copying machine requires the setting of a number of images to be concentrated. The number of images to be concentrated is an integer given by two to the n-th power (where n is an integer). The digital copying machine adjusts a size and a direction of a read image according to the number of images to be concentrated set under the concentration image formation mode, and forms a plurality of images in concentration within one side of the paper.
In order to form images under the setting of the concentration image formation mode, the image formation apparatus in the digital copying machine rotates the direction of the images to be concentrated, based on the set direction of the document images and the set number of images to be concentrated. For example, in order to concentrate images of A4-size documents onto an A4-size sheet of paper based on the number of images to be concentrated xe2x80x9ctwoxe2x80x9d, the long side of the formed images is arranged parallel to the short side of the copying paper (refer to FIG. 28A). On the other hand, in order to concentrate images of A4-size documents onto an A4-size sheet of paper based on the number of images to be concentrated xe2x80x9cfourxe2x80x9d, the long side of the formed images is arranged parallel to the long side of the copying paper (refer to FIG. 28B). When the direction of the images to be formed in concentration is rotated according to the number of images to be concentrated, the images on vertically long document sheets may be formed onto a laterally long sheet of copying paper.
Some digital copying machines have a stapler that staples in bundle a plurality of sheets of paper on which images are formed by the image formation apparatus. This digital copying machine can staple the image-formed sheets based on the setting of a staple position, either at the upper side or at the side of the sheets. Because of weight and strength constraints, the stapler is not structured to be able to staple at any desired position of the image-formed sheets of paper. Instead, the stapler can staple the image-formed sheets of paper at a limited position. For example, some staplers can staple the image-formed sheets of paper at one side of the paper.
The conventional digital copying machine requires the operator to set the reading mode of the image reading apparatus and the image formation mode according to the documents to be read and the purpose of using the image-formed paper, the setting work is troublesome.
Further, according to the conventional digital copying machine, the image reading apparatus reads a preset one side of the document as the front side of the document, under the setting of the single-side reading mode. Therefore, when the front side and the back side of the document are set wrong by error in the single-side reading mode, the image reading apparatus reads the image from the back side as the image from the front side. As the unintended image of the back side is formed on the copying paper, this results in the wasting of the paper.
When the set top and bottom directions of a plurality of documents are out of order, the image reading apparatus of the conventional digital copying machine requires the rearrangement of the whole documents so that the top and bottom directions are in order.
Further, in the both-side reading mode, the image reading apparatus of the conventional digital copying machine processes the image different from the image of the front side in the single-side reading mode, as the image of the back side of the document out of the images read from both sides of the document. Therefore, when the front side and back side of the document are set wrong by error in the both-side reading mode, the images on the front side and the back side of the document are formed on wrong sides of the copying paper respectively.
When the image is formed under the setting of the mode of using the back side of image-formed paper, the operator may misunderstand that the image previously formed on one side of the paper is the image formed this time. This confusion is further expanded when the image (an invalid image) formed on the other side of the paper is very similar to the image formed this time.
When the image is formed under the setting of the mode of using the back side of image-formed paper, a cross mark xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d may be placed on the invalid image, in order to prevent the error of taking the invalid image as the necessary image. However, as placing the cross mark xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d on each sheet of the paper is troublesome, this work is not practicable when a large number of sheets of paper having images formed on one side are used, in offices for example.
Further, under the setting of the concentration image formation mode, the conventional digital copying machine rotates the direction of the images to be formed in concentration based on the document set direction and the set number of images to be concentrated. Therefore, for stapling the sheets of paper, it is necessary to set the staple position based on the top and bottom directions of the image-formed paper. However, only the operator who frequently uses the concentration function and the staple function can understand to which direction the sheets of paper after the concentration are discharged, for each number of images to be concentrated. As a result, the functions of the digital copying machine are not effectively utilized at present.
According to the image formation apparatus of one aspect of the present invention, an image formation unit forms on a paper an image read from a document; and a guide information printing unit prints on the paper a guide information, which represents a layout of the document.
According to the image formation method of another aspect of the present invention, an image of a document is formed on a paper with an image formation unit; and a guide information, which represents a layout of the document, is printed on the paper with the image formation unit.
The computer program according to the present invention makes it possible to execute the image formation method according to the present invention on a computer, and the storage medium according to the present invention stores the computer program according to the present invention.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.